Re-Education

The Saudi's have been on a prison building spree for Jihadi's. Here's the message:

"The message they are given is that violent jihad is only permissible in Islam if it has the approval of the state and the authority of the jihadist's parents. Going off to fight the Soviets in Afghanistan in the 1980s, they are told, was permissible but going to fight in Iraq today is not."

A very effective message indeed I am sure for people who want to overthrow the government.

The story.

The Free World

Israel banned the Beatles in 65'! Who knew?

Death Watch Religion

Be not afraid. Tom Cruise will save us all! The BBC having some fun at the expense of Hollywood, L Ron Hubbard, Tommy C, dare I say America!

Easy Genocide Talk

Racist assumptions and genocidal banter as normal discussion in America. Chris Matthews and Ann Coulter chat about destroying "Islamic society" and how we need to get this war into high gear. The banality of evil. I think Matthews is worse because Coulter is a bigot and a neo-fascist who believes what she is saying, Matthews on the other hand is doing it to appear fair and for the ratings.

Che: The Shirt (The Movie)

Che takes a stand!

Karl Rove Style

The master Karl Rove attacks in the name of analysis. Rove uses the rival candidates' words while adding a few nuggets like Obama is "lazy," a trash talker, and sometimes treats his job like a "pickup basketball game." What else would a black man do?

Repubs Implode

The three legs of the Republican stool, the plutocracy, religious fanatics/bigots and imperialist/nationalists are moving in different directions and its fun to watch. For pure entertainment I am split, three ways, on who I would most enjoy as the Republican candidate. The plutocracy's man, Mitt Romney, keeps counting his silver and somehow thinks this is working for him. His quoffe and $4000 suits are a gay man's dream but christ, could this guy be more of a dick? Now, Nixon was probably the biggest phallus ever elected but he did have a populist appeal, so did Reagan, but Romney seems to wallow in his country club pedigree and gilded mic.
The imperialists's pilot, not shot down and tortured after New Hampshire, John "Hanoi Hilton" McCain, has never been so self-righteous and ready for blood as evidenced by last night's speech which was delivered in such as stilted way that I was surprised the grampa did not get noticed as a senior and questioned on it. And let us not forget the shrinking face in the crowd and my favorite candidate, in either party, Mike Huckabee. MH is the making of the last 30 years of fundi organizing in the party. The creationist/pro-life/gay hating fundis have wanted one of their own for years and they finally have him. The only problem is now the party that helped them coalesce is embarrassed that the good ol' boy's good ol' boy is getting tranction. The problem is that many of the fundis are in the working class and Huckabee is speaking their lingo as a right wing populist but the party's leaders most represent the corporate set. Fun stuff.

Two Buck Huck

Huckabee plays the class card, I say good for him but what's his program? On the plus end he says we need to be more compassionate towards criminals-he is against three strikes and is an advocate of re-rehabilitation (he actually runs a rehab house), supports parole, he talks about about a drug and alcohol problem not a "crime" problem and he opposes the absurd "hate crime" laws which punish thought crimes. He sends his kids to public schools and thinks the plutocrats should do the same. He also has criticized the GOP for its racial code rhetoric and got 48% of the black vote in Arkansas because he has talked about being inclusive towards all.

Now in reality even though he talks a good game, and has delivered on the edges, his program is one of inequality.

He's against a progressive income tax, his program is a sale tax,
Opposses gay equality-he is a fundamentalist and thinks them an "abomination,"
He is for the death penalty because the bible says its ok, I wonder what his position is on eating shellfish and pork?,
Opposses 2 state solution in Palestine, I suppose it might prolong the day of Armaggedan!,
Likes the idea of bombing Iran and occupying Iraq,
Opposes univeral health coverage and socialized medicine,
Thinks Wal-Mart is the greatest invention since Jesus turned wine into water.

His program is horribly regressive in the end even though around the edges he symbolically knows that his party is made up of a bunch of bigots and people who got theirs or of people who think when they get theirs to hell with the rest.


Check out Huckabee on the issues.

I Heart Huckabee

It looks like for non-evengelical Republicans, except for Chuck Norris types, a Clinton win is the best of all worlds. Not that Obama is a radical or anything but he is certainly less predictable than Hillary, particularly when it comes to the war machine.

The Clintons looked hackish. They had mad Madeline, Wesley Clarke and Bill in the background. She pandered to the unions and spoke in pablum. Huckabee was clearly from a different planet. A populist in the Republican party. A dude that speaks like Gary Bauer will have a limited reach, he's a serious reactionary when it comes to social concerns. And what of his organization nationwide? That's the question for Obama also but he has the benefit if lots of money from the limousine liberals.

BO and Huckabee were the most visionary in victory. Barack looked Kennedyesque. His kids did not look propish, even though he trotted them out there, they waved like John Jr. and he had the masses behind him, even though there was a barbudo in the back. BO doesn't seem to scare los blancos. He gave a great speech. The question is whether the hillbillary organization and money can win it for her in the long.

David Brooks' take.

Greatest line so far in the coverage:

"-Josh Marshall on Ron Paul, whom Fox News is excluding from its New Hampshire debate this weekend: “Seems Ron Paul has pretty much smoked Rudy in Iowa. With about 2/3 reporting, Paul’s got about 10% and Rudy’s bringing up the rear with a healthy 4%. Will Fox let him debate?”

Food First

Every year the issue of "overpopulation" comes up in my classroom. Lots still believe in the "too many mouths to feed" arguement about poverty and malnutrition. I remember reading Food First's Diet for a Small Planet years ago and the arguements are as pescient today as ever. Check out 12 myths about hunger.

Myth 3
Too Many People

Reality: Birth rates are falling rapidly worldwide as remaining regions of the Third World begin the demographic transition - ­when birth rates drop in response to an earlier decline in death rates. Although rapid population growth remains a serious concern in many countries, nowhere does population density explain hunger. For every Bangladesh, a densely populated and hungry country, we find a Nigeria, Brazil or Bolivia, where abundant food resources coexist with hunger. Or we find a country like the Netherlands, where very little land per person has not prevented it from eliminating hunger and becoming a net exporter of food. Rapid population growth is not the root cause of hunger. Like hunger itself, it results from underlying inequities that deprive people, especially poor women, of economic opportunity and security. Rapid population growth and hunger are endemic to societies where land ownership, jobs, education, health care, and old age security are beyond the reach of most people. Those Third World societies with dramatically successful early and rapid reductions of population growth rates - ­China, Sri Lanka, Colombia, Cuba and the Indian state of Kerala - ­prove that the lives of the poor, especially poor women, must improve before they can choose to have fewer children.

Identity in LA

Mario Vargas LLosa on Latin Americaness.

Authenticity

I haven't seen the new Dylan movie but here's a review:

Looking back.

It riffs on the idea of originality.

Thomas Frank got me thinking about Dylan's "authenticity" a few years ago:

The conquest of cool.

Not saying I totally agree but not something in the Dylan context that I had not thought of before.

The Surge: What Up?

Patrick Cockburn's take.

Frat Boy or Torturer?

The banality of evil. CIA yuppie defends water boarding.

Indian Minister to Quit

Over army of Monkeys debate!

Death Watch Religion

Thousands march in Sudan for death of teacher who's students named a teddy bear Muhhamed during a lesson about animals and their habits. And we think we have it bad?

Le douche

Douche-bags are an underapreciated entity these days. Living in the Midwest I can attest. Our snark, boorishness and condescension can only take us so far professionally so we need other outlets of self-aggrandizement, and let's not leave out megalomania. In an effort to celebrate the d-b the Red and the Black has started a new feature: Le douche. Le douche will celebrate all aspects of la universidad that is doucheiness. The opening salvo in Le douche will be dedicated to a trifecta of doucheiocity, the three people of late that make me think "Summers Eve:"



I. Matt Cale

This guy has some problems, with women that is.* That being said he is a brilliant social observer, writer and film critic.





II. Maddox

Maybe the Provost of Douche-Bag University?




III. J.F. Page

More on this guy.

Not an original yes, but nonetheless...



*A common affliction of douche bags.

Death Watch Religion

British teacher arrested after her students name teddy bear Muhhamed.

At Stake in France

"Sarkozy wants to fight his battles one by one. France has sluggish economic growth, a huge budget and social security deficit and massive debt that is worrying the EU. At the top of Sarkozy's long list of changes for France is installing a new work ethic where the French work more and for longer. Currently France works on average 617 hours a person a year, compared with 800 hours in Britain. To the government, reforming the special early pensions perks of 500,000 public sector workers was a logical place to start. It was also symbolic: in 1995 three weeks of crippling transport strikes brought France to its knees and forced Jacques Chirac to cave in on the same reform."

Some unconventional wisdom:

"Despite the mythology surrounding French unions in reality they are weak and divided. Trade union membership in France is among the lowest in the West. At 8% of the public sector and 5% of the private sector, membership is far behind the UK and even the US. There are more unemployed people in France than trade union members. In an average year the French miss proportionately fewer working days from strikes than Americans do. The transport strike has flagged up the weaknesses of unions as hardline grassroots continued their strike even as negotiations began."

The Guardian's repoting on Sarkozy and labor.

The BBC's more measured approach.

Death Watch Religion

Saudi poobahs endorse 200 lashes for rape victim.

"The 19-year-old, who has not been named, was travelling in a car with a male friend last year, when the car was attacked by a gang of seven men who raped both of them."

Notice the male who was raped is not getting flogged.